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Novak Djokovic and Sergio Tacchini relationship could be on the rocks: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

September 14, 2011 by Justin Cohen

Sergio Tacchini dropping the ball with top-ranked Djokovic

Back in November 2009, Novak Djokovic signed a 10-year sponsorship deal with legendary tennis clothing brand Sergio Tacchini. In 2007, the company filed for bankruptcy before being purchased for $42 million by Chinese businessman Billy Ngok in 2008. The story got even more exciting as Djokovic rose to No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings and won three of four Grand Slams in 2011, including the US Open on Monday over Rafael Nadal in four sets. “I am really honored to be a part of that brand who had a lot of No. 1’s and to be able to revive the brand,” Djokovic told CNBC’s Darren Rovell before the US Open. “To be able to become No. 1 with Tacchini, with the tennis brand, is even a bigger pleasure.” However, insiders say the company is likely going to have a tough time paying off his multi-million dollar bonuses this year, which have not been disclosed. The reason is that Sergio Tacchini is barely making profit and its production and distribution have hurt its ability to capitalize on Djokovic’s remarkable run. While well-known tennis brands, Nike and adidas, have had their tennis gear that US Open players wore in stores nationwide for at least a month, Sergio Tacchini doesn’t even have its Djokovic US Open designs in stores yet. His line is expected in stores by the last week of September or possibly into October. “It’s so much hit or miss, how am I ever going to plan a marketing campaign around Djokovic’s Sergio Tacchini gear?” said Greg Wolf, Owner of Midwest Sports in Cincinnati. “I certainly can’t run a TV ad or put something in a magazine and I can’t see how Sergio can justify paying him with the small amount of product that they are selling.” Wolf insists that Djokovic would be an extremely big seller if he was with the right brand. “The guy speaks five languages,” said Wolf. “He’s articulate, he’s funny, women love him. He’s not Federer. But McEnroe wasn’t Borg. We don’t need another Federer. We’re ‘Federer’d’ out. He’s got the personality to make the needle move.” With players such as Roger Federer and Serena and Venus Williams nearing the end of their remarkable careers, Wolf is concerned about having a star as well-known as Djokovic with a company that hasn’t been able to figure out how to capitalize. “In order to become a big brand, you have to get lucky and sign a rock star,” said Wolf. “They did that. That’s the easy part. But they can’t keep paying him if they don’t know how to backfill the product.”

Federer vs. Roddick, Sharapova vs. Wozniacki in BNP Paribas Showdown in New York City on March 5

On Monday, March 5, 2012 at the World’s Most Famous Arena – Madison Square Garden – in the heart of New York City, four of the top players in the world will take part in the fifth annual BNP Paribas Showdown, marking the start of the tennis season in the United States. This year’s event will start off by featuring former world No. 1 and three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova taking on current top-ranked WTA star Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. Following the completion of the first match, 16-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1 Roger Federer will clash with 2003 US Open champion Andy Roddick. Both matches will be best of three sets. “Playing in Madison Square Garden has always been a dream of mine,” said Sharapova. “Everyone wants to play there at least once in their career. I look forward to coming back to New York for the Showdown.” Roddick added, “I have never had a chance to play at the Garden before and to play Roger there will make it a special night. I am really looking forward to a great event.” Tickets for the BNP Paribas Showdown start at $50 and will go on sale to the general public on October 3 at 10:00 a.m. and can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden box office, online at thegarden.com and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information and an opportunity to sign up for pre-sale alerts prior to tickets going on sale fans can visit tennisshowdown.com. “Madison Square Garden has an unparalleled history of great tennis with more than 80 years featuring some of the very best in the game in a unique arena setting,” said Scott O’Neil, President, MSG Sports. “At the BNP Paribas Showdown on March 5th, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki will all grace The Garden court and entertain a very New York crowd joining the ranks of tennis greats featured at The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Capriati, Kafelnikov, Kuerten, lead 2012 International Tennis Hall of Fame nominees

Former Grand Slam champions Jennifer Capriati, Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Gustavo Kuerten have been nominated for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., to take place in the summer of 2012. Other former player nominees include Thelma Coyne Long and Manuel Orantes. Legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, founder of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida, wheelchair player Randy Snow and administrators Mike Davies and Eiichi Kawateir were also nominated.

“The Daily” and MacCallan Sponsor “Get Served” Tennis Party

The Daily, the new Rupert Murdoch-owned Ipad newspaper, and MacCallan Scotch were the lead sponsors for “Get Served” a US Open party held at the Whiskey Blue bar at the “W” Hotel on 49th and Lexington Avenue on Friday, September 9. Attending guests that crossed the social media and tennis worlds were given a free one-year subscription to The Daily as well as a copy of the New Chapter Press-published book ROGER FEDERER: QUEST FOR PERFECTION (www.RogerFedererBook.com)
The party was abuzz when five-time US Open champion Roger Federer arrived, however, guests eventually learned that “Federer” was actually a Federer look-a-like named Darren Cellemme from Hoboken, N.J.
The subscribe to The Daily, go to http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-daily/id411516732?mt=8
For more info on MacCallan, go to http://www.themacallan.com/home.aspx

Serena Williams fined $2,000 for verbal outburst at chair umpire; Mike Bryan fined $10,000

Serena Williams was slapped with a $2,000 fine for a verbal outburst at chair umpire Eva Asderaki during the US Open women’s final on Sunday. US Open Tournament Referee Brian Earley said in a statement that the fine was issued for the code violation for verbal abuse. “This fine is consistent with similar offenses at Grand Slam events,” the statement said. “After independently reviewing the incident which served as the basis for the code violation, and taking into account the level of fine imposed by the U.S. Open referee, the Grand Slam Committee Director has determined that Ms. Williams’ conduct, while verbally abusive, does not rise to the level of a major offense under the Grand Slam Code of Conduct.” In the first game of the set, when Williams appeared to hit a winner against eventual champion Samantha Stosur, she yelled in celebration before the ball landed in the court. Stosur touched the ball and was awarded the point because of the hindrance rule that allows for a point penalty if the “hindrance” is considered to be intentional. After the point, which gave Stosur the game, Williams launched a verbal attack of the chair umpire during the changeover. The $2,000 fine wasn’t the biggest issued at the tournament, as top-ranked ATP doubles player Mike Bryan was fined $10,000 for an undisclosed offense. Because Bryan can still appeal the fine, a US Open official can’t say what the offense is at the moment.

TV rating up 18 percent from 2010 for this year’s US Open men’s final

According to a report from the Associated Press, Novak Djokovic’s four-set win over Rafael Nadal at the US Open during the championship match on Monday, which was shown on CBS, earned an overnight rating of 2.6 and a 6 share. That’s up 18 percent from a 2.2/6 for the start of last year’s final between the same players. The end of last year’s match was moved to ESPN2 because of a rain delay. Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time. Overnight ratings measure the country’s largest markets.

US Open women’s final TV rating up from 2010

Samantha Stosur’s straight set win over Serena Williams in the championship match on Sunday at the US Open, which was seen nationwide on CBS, had a TV rating up 121 percent from the 2010 final. The match earned a 4.2 overnight rating and a 8 share. Last year’s final, in which Kim Clijsters polished off Russian Vera Zvonareva to win her second straight title, drew a 1.9/4 rating. Ratings represent the percentage of all homes with televisions tuned into a program. Shares represent the percentage of all homes with TVs in use at the time. Overnight ratings measure the country’s largest markets.

First Lady Michelle Obama attends US Open, Promotes Let’s Move!

First Lady Michelle Obama was on hand during the second week of the US Open to participate in a USTA 10 and Under tennis clinic on the site of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. She was joined by several current and former tennis players including Serena Williams, John McEnroe, James Blake, MaliVai Washington and Katrina Adams, as she thanked the participating children from the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program, who took part in the Let’s Move! initiative. First Lady Michelle Obama was appreciative that the USTA has helped engage millions of children over the years by introducing them to the sport of tennis and building more than 2,000 right-sized courts that provide a place for young players to play. “I have been trying to get to the US Open my entire life. I am so incredibly excited to finally be at my first US Open, but I am equally excited and proud to be standing in partnership with the USTA and all they have done for hundreds of thousands of kids across this country. You are an example of what we can do when we put our minds to it,” said First Lady Michelle Obama. “I am again grateful to the USTA. The courts you build, these kids sized courts, are just amazing. They will break that barrier; they will make tennis accessible to kids…I am so proud of the USTA.” Earlier this year, the USTA partnered with the Let’s Move! campaign, which helps more kids to get moving, lead healthy lifestyles, and earn their own Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). The PALA award recognizes kids who stay active for 60 minutes per day, five days a week for six out of eight weeks. Kids have been reminded to play tennis during their program hours and are encouraged to stay active at home or during school hours. PALA’s nationwide goal is to get one million youngsters to take the challenge. To date, the USTA is responsible for providing 226,634 kids who have participated in and completed PALA through its National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, Jr. Team Tennis (JTT) League, Community Tennis Associations (CTA), Schools Tennis, Tennis in the Parks, and Wheelchair Tennis programs.

USTA Presidential Task Force on Tennis and Higher Education meets during US Open

On September 4, the USTA Presidential Task Force met at the Grand Hyatt in midtown Manhattan during the US Open to discuss developing an educational pathway to help guide children from 10 and Under tennis through college. Several other new projects were also introduced as possibilities that would further promoter higher education through tennis. The Task Force was founded in January by USTA Chairman of the Board and President Jon Vegosen. “We could put in place a player development system that creates not only champions on the court, but also champions in life,” said Vegosen. “In short, if we were to develop people through tennis, we would inevitably promote and develop the growth of tennis itself.” The Task Force has the mission of promoting the importance and value of obtaining a college education to every American child, with tennis serving as the sport of opportunity to achieve that goal. Tennis instills confidence, character, sportsmanship and teamwork, which are important skills on a court, in a classroom and throughout life. Some of the members on the USTA Presidential Task Force include Intercollegiate Tennis Association Executive Director David A Benjamin, NCAA President Mark Emmert and US Department of Education senior staff member David Whitman.

Defending champion Milos Raonic joins Roddick and Monfils in 2012 SAP Open field in San Jose

The SAP Open just announced that defending singles champion Milos Raonic of Canada has committed to the 2012 tournament, joining three-time champion and SAP Ambassador Andy Roddick and world No. 7 Gael Monfils. The 2012 SAP Open will take place from February 13-19 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. Additionally, tennis hall of famer John McEnroe will headline a doubles exhibition match on Monday, February 13 at 7 p.m. “We are pleased to welcome defending champion Milos Raonic and this very strong group of world-class players back to the SAP Open in 2012,” said Bill Rapp, Tournament Director. “And with John McEnroe already scheduled to play the Monday night exhibition doubles match, the 2012 SAP Open promises to be one of the best and most entertaining tournaments in recent history.” In the 2011 tournament, Raonic used his powerful serve and groundstroke game to defeat Fernando Verdasco in two tiebreak sets to capture his first ATP World Tour singles title. “Winning your first career title is something you’ll always remember, so the SAP Open will always be special to me,” said Raonic. “The tournament is a fantastic event and I’m looking forward to returning to San Jose in 2012 to defend the title.” Ticket packages and group tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling (408) ACE-2121. Individual session tickets will go on sale starting in January 2012. Additional information about the SAP Open can be found on the official tournament website at www.sapopentennis.com.

Borden Dairy Company partners with USTA

The Borden Dairy Company, one of the most trusted milk brands in the dairy industry, recently announced that they are teaming up for a strategic partnership with the USTA to encourage young people across the nation to get active, try the sport of tennis and live a healthy lifestyle as part of the USTA’s youth tennis initiative. “Borden Dairy is pleased to partner with the USTA to help promote healthy habits and active lifestyles in children of all ages,” said Steve McCormick, CEO of Borden Dairy Company. “Together we hope to instill the important role high-quality nutritious milk and tennis can have in raising happy, healthy kids.” As part of the one-year agreement, Borden will promote youth tennis through in-store retail promotions and on in-school milk packaging. Additionally, Borden had signage at the 2011 US Open, which completed on Monday when Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal for his first title in New York.“The USTA is committed to getting more kids involved in our sport and our new 10 And Under Tennis initiative is making great strides in this area,” said Sue Hunt, Managing Director of Marketing, USTA. “Through this partnership with such a high-quality, well-known milk brand, we expect to extend this initiative even further, and get even more kids active and playing our sport.”

New United States Professional Tennis Association’s National Board of Directors announced

Results are in for the United States Professional Tennis Association’s (USPTA) new National Board of Directors after a highly contested election. Nancy Cox, Gary Trost, Jeff Hawes, Dan Moster and Tom McGraw will serve as Vice Presidents, and will join president, Tom Daglis and first Vice President, Randy Mattingley. The new USPTA Board of Directors will take office later this month at the World Conference on Tennis from September 19-24, at the Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel, Fla., and will serve the association until September 2013.

Line-up announced for 16th Annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at US Open in New York: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

August 10, 2011 by Justin Cohen

Say Shalom to “Tennis Fantasies Israel”

Tennis enthusiasts looking to travel abroad and play in beautiful surroundings will have a great opportunity in 2012 with the debut of “Tennis Fantasies Israel”. Set to take place from Sunday, May 6 thru Tuesday, May 15, “Tennis Fantasies Israel” combines clinics, matches and sightseeing, taking men and women to such places as Tel Aviv, Akko, Galilee and Jerusalem. In each of these spots, participants will have the opportunity to play tennis at venues run by the Israel Tennis Center and tour a variety of historic locations, museums and other places of interest.Tennis legends currently set to lead the group include a trio of former US Davis Cup squad members who were each ranked in the Top 10 in the world including Brian Gottfried (former world No. 3 and winner of 79 singles and doubles titles, including three Grand Slam doubles titles), Harold Solomon (former world No. 5 and winner of 23 singles and doubles titles) and Dick Stockton (former world No. 8 and winner of 24 singles and doubles titles, including a pair of Grand Slam mixed doubles titles). Israeli Shlomo Glickstein, who rose as high as No. 22 in the ATP rankings and represented his country in 66 Davis Cup matches throughout his ten-year professional career, will round out the staff of legends. There is also a charity component to “Tennis Fantasies Israel”. The event’s organizers are working with the Israel Tennis Center in Akko, Israel to create a new co-existence program for local Jewish and Arab children involving tennis, families and teachers. All event proceeds will benefit this program including a portion of every registration fee.The event costs $3,000.00, which includes all transportation within Israel, breakfasts, two dinners, tennis, lodging tour guide and sightseeing attractions. “Tennis Fantasies Israel” was created by USPTA Master Professional Steve Contardi, the same person who also started and has directed the most successful tennis fantasy camp in the sport’s history, “Tennis Fantasies with John Newcombe and the Legends”, an Australian-flavored event that has been running non-stop for nearly a quarter-century in Texas. For more information on “Tennis Fantasies Israel”, contact Steve Contardi via his website at www.tennisfantasiesisrael.net or stevec@towneproperties.comor call (513) 489-9700 or 1-800-874-7788.

Rogers Masters presented by National Bank - Day 2 — Kim Clijsters

Line-up announced for 16th Annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at US Open in New York

The USTA recently announced that defending US Open champions Rafael Nadal and Kim Clijsters, world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, 2003 champion Andy Roddick and 2010 US Open wheelchair champion David Wagner will team up with actor Bradley Cooper, New York Knicks all-star Carmelo Anthony, and pop star Cody Simpson at the 16th Annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess on Saturday, August 27 from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. More tennis stars and musical guests will be announced in the coming weeks. The event will be hosted by TV personalities/actors La La Anthony and Quddus. The popular event for children features interactive games, musical entertainment and tennis activities throughout the day. Tickets for Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day are on sale now and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at (866-OPEN-TIX), www.USOpen.org or by visiting the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center box office in Flushing Meadows. General admission promenade tickets cost $10 and loge tickets are $20. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day will be broadcast nationally by CBS on Sunday, August 28, from 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Kids 12-and-under with stadium show tickets will receive a free Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day hat from the USTA and Hess on a first-come, first-served basis. “We are excited to kick off the 2011 US Open with the biggest names in sports and entertainment at the 16th annual Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess,” said Harlan Stone, Chief Business and Marketing Officer, USTA. “We look forward to serving up a day of family fun as we celebrate the life of a tennis legend whose mission was to empower kids through sport and education.”

Starwood Hotels and Resorts offering up unique access to 2011 US Open in New York

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., just announced its award-winning Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program is offering its members direct access to the US Open, which begins on August 29th at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. SPG members can now officially bid Starpoints on a variety of once-in-a-lifetime experiences including premium luxury suite seating for Arthur Ashe Stadium, a VIP reception with match tickets, a private tennis clinic with ATP World Tour player James Blake, behind-the-scenes tours and access to Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess. “Through our US Open sponsorship, SPG is offering an incredible line-up of US Open experiences so members can connect with their passion for world-class tennis in the company of family and friends,” said Chris Holdren, Senior Vice President of Starwood Preferred Guest. “By enjoying the US Open the SPG way, members can transform their Starpoints into memories they will treasure for a lifetime.” To celebrate the start of the tournament, Starwood Preferred Guest is launching a Kickoff Sweepstakes. SPG members who register at SPG.com/USOpenSuiteSweeps will earn one chance to win numerous prizes for each night they stay at a Starwood property from August 2 – August 29. Ten grand prize winners will win a pair of tickets to the SPG Luxury Suite for the Women’s Singles Semifinals on Friday, September 9.

USTA partners with Uglydoll to create three limited-edition characters for 2011 US Open

The USTA and the award-winning brand Uglydoll announced on Monday that they have partnered to create three extraordinary limited-edition tennis themed Uglydoll characters that will be available during this year’s US Open. The characters Ox™, Big Toe™ and Trunko™ will come with their own tennis-inspired description that will supply consumers with an exclusive and fun way to share their passion for tennis. The plush toy collection will be featured in three sizes.The one-of-a-kind toys are currently available at the renowned FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue store in New York City and will be available at US Open retail shops beginning August 23. Customers can also purchase the merchandise online at www.uglydolls.com and www.usopenshop.org. “The USTA’s partnership with Uglydoll illustrates both brands’ broad appeal among tennis fans and fun-loving consumers of all ages,” said Paul White, USTA Director of Licensing. “We are pleased to be the first sports entity that Uglydoll has partnered with and look forward to offering tennis fans a fun new twist on Uglydoll characters.”

British tennis star Heather Watson signs with Dunlop

British rising star Heather Watson, 19, has signed with Dunlop and will play with the Biomimetic 300 Tour racquet. Watson, who is currently ranked No. 104 in the WTA Tour rankings, trains at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Fla. “We all had a chance to meet Heather at a Dunlop photoshoot earlier this year in Miami, and we couldn’t be more happy to have her as part of our Tour Team,” said Kai Nitsche, Vice President and General Manager of Dunlop Racket Sports. “She’s energetic, fun and has an incredibly positive attitude. It’s been exciting seeing her do well on Tour this year and it’s even better seeing her achieve her dreams with a Dunlop racket in hand.”

Sharapova, Wozniacki lead list of highest paid female athletes

Russian Maria Sharapova topped Forbes’ list for the world’s highest-paid female athlete for the seventh straight year, with earnings of roughly $25 million in the past 12 months due largely in part to big endorsement deals with Nike, Head and Tiffany. Caroline Wozniacki, who is currently the top-ranked player on the WTA Tour, came in second on the list by earning $12.5 million. Palm Beach Gardens-based Venus Williams came in fourth after earning $11.5 million, while four-time Grand Slam singles champion and world No. 2 Kim Clijsters came in fifth with $11 million in earnings. Serena Williams landed sixth on the list at $10.5 million in earnings, while defending French Open champion Li Na came in eight with $8 million in earnings. Former world No. 1 and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia finished ninth with $6 million in earnings.

Monfils to be coached by trainer for at least the next few weeks

Gael Monfils, a finalist last week at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C., says his fitness coach Patrick Chamagne will be his coach for at least the next few weeks. The current world No. 7 mutually split from Australia-based coach Roger Rasheed last month after three years together.

Vandeweghe to work with Jan-Michael Gambill through US Open

After getting to know each other through World TeamTennis matches, rising American Coco Vandeweghe has hired former ATP World Tour No. 14 Jan-Michael Gambill to coach her through the US Open. In their first tournament together last week in Carlsbad at the Mercury Insurance Open, the No. 113 ranked Vandeweghe won two main draw matches before falling to Sabine Lisicki in the Round of 16. She was previously coached by the USTA’s Tom Gullikson.

Fish and Petkovic will attempt world record at US Open

ATP World Tour No. 8 Mardy Fish and WTA Tour No. 10 Andrea Petkovic will join Wilson in their attempt to set the Guinness Book of World Record for the “Most people to bounce a tennis ball on their racquet in one location” on August 26 from 7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. near the boardwalk at Courts P10-15 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Fish and Petkovic are encouraging kids to get fit and get involved in tennis. One of the first things players learn when starting tennis, is to bounce the ball on their racquet and the Guinness World Record attempt will have players of all ages do just that. The first 500 kids to participate in the world record attempt will receive a free Wilson junior racquet and a can of tennis balls so they can get started right away. The current record is 383, a mark set in England in 2006.

Chris Walling named USTA Southern Director of Adult Tennis and Section League Coordinator

Chris Walling, an Atlanta native, has been named the new USTA Southern Director of Adult Tennis and Section League Coordinator by USTA Southern Executive Director and COO John Callen. Walling has served in his present position as the Local League Coordinator for USTA Atlanta for just over three years. His accomplishments, while heading up more than 42,000 USTA League participants in the Atlanta area, include increasing participation by eight percent, organizing more than 30 volunteers and being awarded the 2009 Local League Coordinator of the Year by USTA Southern and USTA Georgia. “Over the past three-plus years, Chris has shown excellent leadership skills in promoting USTA League and expanding the program to more than 4,000 new tennis players using creative methods and gaining the support of the people he has touched,” said Callen. Walling will start his new position on August 16.

Har-Tru Maintenance Certification Seminar set for September 28 in New York City

Har-Tru Sports, the manufacturer of Har-Tru, will be hosting a Har-Tru Maintenance Certification Seminar on Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at The John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime at Randall’s Island in Manhattan. The purpose of the seminar is to bring together leading experts on indoor and outdoor clay courts to discuss the construction and maintenance of clay. In addition to construction and maintenance techniques, the seminar will include information on the causes of indoor and bubbled court surface compaction and what techniques are being used to alleviate it. The seminar is perfect for club managers, tennis professionals, court builders and maintenance professionals who manage, maintain or considering installing clay tennis courts. For more information contact Ed Montecalvo at 1-877-4HARTRU or emontecalvo@hartru.com.

Sao Paulo selected as host city for 2011 ATP Challenger Tour Finals: This Week in Tennis Business with Justin Cohen

May 18, 2011 by Justin Cohen

Sao Paulo to host ATP Challenger Tour Finals in November

On Monday, ATP official announced that the city of Sao Paulo was chosen to host the first edition of the ATP Challenger Tour Finals, which will feature the top players who played in Challenger tournaments throughout the 2011 season. The tournament will be played at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera from November 14-20. “The ATP is happy to launch this new event,” said Mark Young, ATP CEO, Americas. “The ATP Challenger Tour Finals is extremely important to the worldwide development of tennis.” This first edition in Sao Paulo will feature the seven best players of the season on the ATP Challenger Tour and one wild card invited by the host country. The tournament will offer $220,000 in tournament prize money, as well as South African Airways ATP Rankings points. The ATP Challenger Finals will precede the ATP World Tour Finals in London. “It is an important part of the tennis calendar, since the Challenger Tour events are the ones that feed the ATP Tour with stars,” said André Silva, ATP Chief Player Officer. “Without them, the top players would never have reached this status.”

Former Bengals Executive named Tournament Director at Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati

After three months of searching for a new Tournament Director through Mason, Ohio-based Ascension Sports Partners, the Western & Southern Open hired Vince Cicero to replace Bruce Flory, who was relieved of his duties by the United States Tennis Association in January. The 46-year-old Cicero, who is a Mason native, was previously the longtime Director of Corporate Sales and Marketing with the NFL Cincinnati Bengals. Cicero will begin his duties May 31, less than three months before the Western & Southern Open tournament begins at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, which will take place from August 13-21. “It’s a highly regarded international event in our community and a special asset for everyone who lives here, which is one of the reasons I’m excited about the opportunity,” said Cicero. Western & Southern Open CEO Elaine Bruening said Cicero will be “the face of the tournament.” Bruening also said that he will be heavily involved in communications with both the ATP and WTA Tours. He’ll also oversee marketing and corporate sponsorship sales and assist with broadcast and volunteer management. “I’m so glad the best person for the job was local,” said Bruening. “We’re just thrilled to have him.”

Farmers Insurance returning as title sponsor of 85thannual ATP event in Los Angeles

It was announced on Tuesday that Farmers Insurance will return for its second straight year as the title sponsor of the ATP World Tour tennis tournament in Los Angeles, an Olympus US Open Series 250 event. The 2011 Farmers Classic, presented by Mercedes-Benz, will again be played at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on the campus of UCLA in Westwood. This year’s tournament will take place from July 25-31. “For us giving back is not just a corporate motto, it’s a way of life for all of us at Farmers,” said Chuck Browning, Vice President of Community Branding for Farmers Insurance. “To borrow a tennis term, combining charity and world class tennis brings ‘top spin’ to some worthy causes.” This will also be the second year for Mercedes-Benz to serve as presenting sponsor of the tournament. The 2011 tournament marks the 10th year that Mercedes-Benz has been a major sponsor of the event. Season tickets for the 2011 Farmers Classic, presented by Mercedes-Benz are on sale now. For more information, please visit www.FarmersClassic.com/Tickets or call (310) 824-1010 ext. 251.

Kournikova’s mansion on the market for $9.4 million

Former tennis star Anna Kournikova’s Mediterranean waterfront mansion on Sunset Island in Miami is up for sale at a cool asking price of $9.4 million. The 6,630-sqaure-ft. home that was built in 2000 and is in a gated community has seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms in addition to a heated pool and Jacuzzi surrounded by a coral rock deck, as well as a 2-story guest house and large dock.

Henman to be paid $330,000 to commentate at Wimbledon

According to the Daily Mail, former British tennis great Tim Henman will be paid a total of $330,000 to broadcast at Wimbledon this year, which is $23,000 per day during the two-week tournament.

Raonic commits to Atlanta Tennis Championships

Canadian Milos Raonic, the youngest player in the Top 30, has committed to the ATP Atlanta Tennis Championships at the Racquet Club of the South in Norcross, which will take place from July 18-24. The 20-year-old rising star came through qualifying to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, and then followed it up by winning his first career singles title in San Jose before falling to American Andy Roddick the very next weekend in three close sets in the championship match at Memphis. “This will be my first time playing in Atlanta and I welcome the chance to play before the many enthusiastic tennis fans in Georgia,” said Raonic. Currently ranked No. 28, the Canadian joins Americans Mardy Fish, John Isner and Sam Querrey as players who have already signed up to compete in Atlanta this summer.

Del Potro announces on Twitter that he will play in French Open next week

Juan Martin del Potro announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he will travel to Paris to play in next week’s French Open in Paris even though he recently suffered an 8-millimeter tear in his rectus, which is close to his hip, while playing in Madrid. The 2009 US Open singles champion and French Open semifinalist has been undergoing treatment in Buenos Aires lately. “It took a lot of effort, but we are going. See you in Paris!” said Del Potro. The 22-year-old Argentine is currently ranked No. 27.

Roddick pulls out of tournament in Nice, questionable for French Open

Andy Roddick withdrew from his upcoming match against Romanian Victor Hanescu in Nice, France on Tuesday with a right shoulder injury and is listed as questionable for next week’s French Open. Tournament organizers in Nice said Roddick injured himself last week in the tournament in Rome. Roddick, who pulled out of the Masters 1000 Rome doubles championship match with partner Mardy Fish because of his right shoulder injury, said he doesn’t want to take any risks ahead of the second Grand Slam of the year. “It’s running a big risk, playing on an unhealthy shoulder with Roland Garros round the corner and Wimbledon shortly afterwards,” said Roddick. “I’m pulling out of Nice for now. Obviously the situation is not perfect for Roland Garros, but I still have a couple of days to hope for something to get better.” The 2003 US Open champion said he will not play at Roland Garros if he is not 100 percent fit.

Razzano to play in French Open despite fiancé’s recent death

Virginie Razzano announced that she will play in next week’s French Open despite her fiancé’s recent death. Stephane Vidal, who also served as Razzano’s coach until March, was diagnosed with a brain tumor nine years ago and died Monday at 32. But despite his illness, he encouraged the 28-year-old Razzano to compete at Roland Garros. “Four or five days ago, I asked him: ‘Do you want me to go and play at Roland Garros?”’ the Frenchwoman told Tuesday’s edition of L’Equipe newspaper. “He answered: ‘Yes, you need to play.’ Because his intention is that I keep on going in my life, that I play for him and that I continue to be strong and to fight.” Razzano, who was once ranked as high as No. 16 but is currently No. 93, met Vidal 11 years ago while she was training at her parents’ tennis club.

Gonzalez withdraws from French Open due to knee injury

Fernando Gonzalez, a former Top 5 player who is currently ranked No. 370, has withdrawn from next week’s French Open due to a knee injury. The Chilean tweeted on Monday: “Unfortunately today I withdrew myself from Roland Garros, it’s a shame, but I’m doing everything possible to comeback and feel better.” A 2009 French Open semifinalist, Gonzalez returned to the ATP World Tour last month after an eight months hiatus after having right hip surgery. The 30-year-old’s withdrawal opened up a main draw spot in Paris for Argentine Brian Dabul, who will make his second appearance at Roland Garros.

Young skips French Open qualifying tournament to prepare for grass court season

Tennis.com learned that the reason why controversial American Donald Young opted out of this week’s French Open qualifying tournament in Paris is because of a wrist injury he sustained while playing the recent Savannah Challenger. Young will stay in the United States during the French Open main draw and prepare for the grass court season. The 21-year-old American is currently ranked No. 95, giving him direct entry into the grass court events at Queen’s Club in London, Nottingham and Wimbledon.

Serbian Minister to be named new President of the Tennis Players Union of Serbia

According to reports by Blic, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic will soon be named the President of the Tennis Players Union of Serbia. Players currently in the union include Novak Djokovic, Janko Tipsarevic, Viktor Troicki, Nenad Zimonjic and Davis Cup Captain Bogdan Obradovic. The union will be run by Djokovic’s father, Srdjan. Earlier this month, it was with the backing of Jeremic that the players were presented with diplomatic passports during the ATP Serbian Open.

Tennis publisher Randy Walker to sign copies of his book in Newport on Friday

Tennis publisher Randy Walker, author of ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY and publisher of such titles as THE BUD COLLINS HISTORY OF TENNIS and ROGER FEDERER: QUEST FOR PERFECTION, will sign copies of his book and will be available to sell/discuss all of his tennis titles, including the soon-to-be-launched book THE WIMBLEDON FINAL THAT NEVER WAS Friday from 4 to 5 pm at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Gift Shop in Newport, R.I.

“A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” on sale now

New Chapter Press recently announced the publication of the book “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis” – a guidebook for competing in the U.S. Tennis Association League Tennis program or any team tennis competition. Written by Tony Serksnis of Mountain View, Calif., who has more than 25 years of competing and 15 years of captaining tennis teams in USTA League Tennis play, A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis, is an engaging tutorial that explains the ins and outs of being on a tennis team and provides a blueprint for managing and competing within the team structure. The book also provides strategies, concepts and tips on everything from pre-match preparations to maintaining team chemistry. This is not a book on the “how to” of tennis strokes or play, but rather a blueprint for a team to operate effectively towards their goals. The book is a paperback that retails for $14.99. Serksnis is a 25-year veteran of United States Tennis Association (USTA) League Tennis play and has participated on 53 different USTA League Tennis teams, playing in 343 total matches in 36 total leagues (Adult, Senior, Mixed) and has served as captain or co-captain of 15 league tennis teams. Serksnis began playing USTA League Tennis in 1985 as a 3.5-rated player and in 2009, at the age of 63, earned a 4.5 NTRP rating, making him one of the oldest players to ever be moved from a 4.0 to a 4.5 rating. A resident of Mountain View, Calif., he also serves as the President of the Mountain View Tennis Club. “I am very proud to share my 25 years of experiences as a player, captain and astute observer of the USTA League Tennis program in this book,” said Serksnis. “A Player’s Guide To USTA League Tennis allows participants of any level of play to understand what USTA League Tennis is all about. Whether you are new to USTA League Tennis, a seasoned-veteran, or a participant in any other type of team tennis, the book will be an excellent tool for how to get the most out of personally helping the team to achieve its goals, growing your own game and maximize your individual experience.” USTA League Tennis, the country’s largest recreational tennis league, has more than 330,000 players nationwide competing in match play, meeting new people and enjoying the camaraderie of teammates in one of four national divisions (Adult, Senior, Super Senior and Mixed Doubles). Play is based on the NTRP rating system so players will play with and against players of similar ability age 18 and older. USTA League Tennis also offers players a chance to advance from local play to USTA League National Championship events.

Roddick commits to 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic in nation’s capital: This week in tennis business with Justin Cohen

May 4, 2011 by Justin Cohen

Roddick commits to 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic

World No. 12 Andy Roddick will be returning to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO for the 10th time in his professional career after committing to the event on Monday, looking to win his fourth career singles title in the nation’s capital. The ATP World Tour 500 event will take place in Washington, D.C. at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center at Rock Creek Park from July 30-August 7. “The Legg Mason Tennis Classic is very excited to announce that Andy Roddick, one of the most sought-after players by tournaments around the world, has committed to play,” said Jeff Newman, Tournament Director and Senior Vice President with Lagardère Unlimited. “Andy typically plays only 13 ATP World Tour Tournaments per year out of the 62 held in 32 countries worldwide. Similar to Andre Agassi during his career, we feel fortunate that Andy continues to choose to play in Washington each year.” Roddick has won singles titles at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in 2001, 2005 and 2007, while owning a career singles record of 30-6 in Washington.

Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open - Day Three — Andy Roddick

Smyczek signs with Dunlop

Milwaukee native Tim Smyczek, who trains at the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa and is ranked No. 177, has signed with Dunlop. The 23-year-old will play with the Biomimetic 300 Tour racquet while trying to continue his climb up the ATP rankings. Smyczek will make his second appearance in a Grand Slam singles main draw later this month at Roland Garros after winning the USTA French Open Wild Card Playoffs in Boca Raton, Fla. “My game has really taken off this year, and switching to the Biomimetic 300 Tour has played a key role,” said Smyczek. “Whenever I step onto the court, no matter what the surface or conditions, I’m confident with this racket. I’m looking forward to continuing my partnership with Dunlop.” Smyczek, who turned pro in 2006, reached the quarterfinals in San Jose and the second round at Indian Wells earlier this year. “Tim is a great signing for Dunlop,” said Kai Nitche, Vice President and General Manager of Dunlop Racket Sports. “He possesses the key characteristics we look for in our Tour Team members; he works extremely hard both on and off-court, he’s dedicated, and he pulls through in clutch situations. It’s been a pleasure to work with him thus far, and we wish him well as he continues his climb up the ATP World Tour rankings.”

Gasquet to endorse Tourna Grip

Unique Sports announced that world No. 18 Richard Gasquet of France will endorse Tourna Grip in a multi-year deal. Gasquet, who has used Tourna Grip his entire career, joins the Bryan Brothers, Sam Querrey, David Ferrer, Victoria Azarenka, Vera Zvonareva and Juan Carlos Ferrero as some of the top players who endorse Tourna Grip.

TicketCity becomes local sponsor of Davis Cup tie between United States and Spain in Austin

On Monday, the USTA announced that TicketCity, a leader in secondary ticketing, has become a local sponsor of the 2011 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas quarterfinal between the United States and Spain at the Frank Erwin Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin from July 8-10. The Austin-based company is the official secondary ticket provider of the Davis Cup quarterfinal between the United States and Spain. TicketCity plans to engage with tennis fans attending or watching the event through a variety of marketing and promotional elements implemented in the arena as well as during the broadcast of the matches throughout the weekend on Tennis Channel. “We’re excited to see Davis Cup competition come to our hometown and proud to be a part of it through this sponsorship with the USTA,” says Amy Carpenter, Vice President of Marketing at TicketCity. “We look forward to connecting with tennis fans in Austin and across the country through this partnership and increasing awareness of the breadth of events we offer, as well as our passionate commitment to customer service in the ticketing industry.”

Tennis Warehouse Europe to process all online orders for 2011 French Open

Tennis Warehouse Europe, the European division of Tennis Warehouse, has announced the new partnership with the French Open starting in 2011. The company has agreed to process all online orders for Roland Garros. The French Tennis Federation recognizes Tennis Warehouse Europe as the fulfillment provider of this prestigious tennis tournament. All Roland Garros items sold through the official French Open website will be filled by Tennis Warehouse Europe and starting this week the complete line of official Roland Garros products will be offered through the Tennis Warehouse Europe website. “We are very excited that the French Tennis Federation selected Tennis Warehouse Europe to handle the fulfillment of the exclusive Roland-Garros products for Spring 2011,” said Rick Kerpsack, Managing Director of Tennis Warehouse Europe.

2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic tickets go on sale

On Monday, ticket packages and single session tickets went on sale to the public for the 2011 Legg Mason Tennis Classic presented by GEICO, which will be held at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center at Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C. from July 30-August 7. Ticket packages for all ten sessions start at $200 ($20 per session) for Weeklong Reserved to $550 for Premium Box Seats. Single session seats range from $10 to $75, depending on session and seat location. In addition to the tournament’s Weeklong Box Seat and Reserved Seat packages, other flexible ticket packages include Box Seat Mini-Breaks (box seat tickets for three sessions), Weekender Packages (reserved seat for the first weekend and all Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final matches Friday through Sunday) and the Day Tripper (both sessions of Saturday semifinals at one low price). Group discounts, Special Event Packages and Courtside Suites are also available. Tickets are available to be purchased through the official tournament ticket hotline at (202) 721-9500.

WTA New Haven Open at Yale tickets on sale now for USTA members

Tickets are on sale now for USTA members for the 2011 WTA New Haven Open at Yale in New Haven, Conn., which will be played from August 18-27. Ticket can be ordered by calling the New Haven Open at Yale box office at 1-855-4-NHTENNIS or by visiting newhaventennis.com. Be sure to mention that you are a USTA Member and have your valid USTA Member ID available when calling. If you wish to purchase your tickets online, please use code “2011USTA” to receive the USTA Member discount. USTA Members receive $15 off multi-day Box Seat Packages, $30 off select Travel Packages, and 25% off Adult Middle Tier tickets for Sunday, August 21 through Wednesday August 24 (Sessions 1-7). USTA Members can enjoy members-only access to the USTA private hospitality area on Tuesday, August 23 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. and can also receive 25% off Adult Middle Tier tickets (Sessions 4 and 5). Be sure to have your valid USTA Member ID card available for entry into the hospitality area. Valid ticket required to enter tournament grounds. General public tickets go on sale on Wednesday, June 1.

Tomic and Dellacqua get French Open main draw wild cards from Tennis Australia

Bernard Tomic and Casey Dellacqua were awarded French Open main draw wild cards by Tennis Australia on Monday, which are part of a reciprocal agreement between the French Tennis Federation and Tennis Australia. Since reaching the third-round at the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, Tomic has had mediocre results, but is currently ranked No. 176 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. Dellacqua, a Perth native, returned to the WTA Tour at an Australian Challenger event in February after a year off due to injuries. In April, Dellacqua won a $25,000 Challenger tournament in Bundaberg, Australia.

Four WTA Tour players nominated for Fed Cup Heart Award

Andrea Petkovic, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Olga Savchuk and Polona Hercog were recently announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) as possible winners for the upcoming Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award. In April, all four players played for their nation in Fed Cup. The players were selected by ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, a mixture of former professional players and members of the international media. From May 3-24, a public vote will take place on FedCup.com and FedCup.com/es to decide the winner. The winner will receive a $3,000 check to be donated to a charity of her choice. The Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Heart Award is a joint initiative between BNP Paribas and the ITF. It aims to recognize players who have represented their country with distinction, shown exceptional courage on court and demonstrated outstanding commitment to their team. A total of six Heart Awards are being presented in 2011. Earlier in the year, Bojana Jovanovski, Bianca Botto, Ayumi Morita and Victoria Azarenka were recognized, and a player will also be honored at the Fed Cup Final in November. “The level of passion and excitement for Fed Cup by BNP Paribas has grown considerably during the last year, helped significantly by the outstanding commitment shown by the players,” said Ricci Bitti. “I would like to congratulate Andrea, Maria Jose, Olga and Polona for being shortlisted for a Heart Award. I would also like to encourage all fans to go online and vote, as it provides a fantastic opportunity to reward the skill, effort and character of the players.”

No surprise – Rafael Nadal vs Novak Djokovic to play for Indian Wells crown

March 19, 2011 by Charles Bricker

No surprises. This is just how the tennis cognoscente had it doped out at the Indian Wells 1000.

Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic in the final.

If you’re going by the ATP rankings, that’s No. 1 Nadal vs. No. 3 Djokovic. Or, if you prefer real time form, I’d make that No. 1 Djokovic vs. No. 2 Nadal. You can rearrange those two any way you like, but one thing is undeniable. These are the two best players in the world right now, with Roger Federer a fading third.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the bal — Novak Djokovic

Nadal looked just super in a 6-4, 6-4 win over Juan Martin Del Potro, who continues to make stunning progress in his return from last year’s injury. Then, about two and a half hours later, the Djoker walked off the stadium court with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Federer, and he’s not only now won three straight over Roger, but six of the last seven sets they’ve played.

I’ll get back to Rafa and Delpo in a bit, because there’s a lot to say about both, but there’s more grist to the win by Djokovic, who is now 17-0 for the season going into this final and, to be perfectly precise, he’s now won 19 in a row dating back to last year, counting a couple of impressive, straight-set wins over Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils in the Davis Cup final in December.

If I’d been watching this match a year ago, I would have chucked in Djokovic’s chances after he got a bit too defensive in the second set because mental strength with him had been a chronic problem. Had been.

But after Federer played his best tennis in Saturday’s middle set, I had no doubt that the new, mentally stronger Djokovic was going to steel himself for the third, and he did.

Once again, as Nole did to Federer in the Australian Open and at Dubai, he hurt Federer badly on service returns. For years, Federer has, well, fed off free points — aces and other unreturned serves.

In three losses to Djokovic this year, Federer has 11 aces in 39 service games. Of course he’s holding serve most of the time, but he’s also under pressure in most service games against Djokovic, and that’s having a major effect on his inability to build momentum.

The numbers in the final set Saturday paint a dramatic picture. Federer carried some powerful momentum into the third set, having won the second with a service break that allowed him to begin serving the third.

He was then broken three times. He got only 46 percent of his first serves in. He won only 29 percent of his second serves. For the match, Federer won just 41 percent of his second serves, well below his season average of 57 percent.

This is where Djokovic is dominating him. You’re not going to get 15 to 20 aces a match from Nole, who doesn’t rely on those free points to win. When he’s serving, he’s going to beat you with his superior backcourt game. When he’s receiving against Federer, he’s going to make you feel constant pressure.

That, for me, is the foundation of how he has surpassed Roger.

One final note on the Djokovic win. The publicity people, both at the ATP and in the television studios, are making a pretty big deal about Djokovic bumping up to No. 2 in the rankings ahead of now No. 3 Federer with this win.

Well, hold your water, folks. Between now and the French Open, Federer has 190 points to defend and Novak 550. Chances are strong he won’t be No. 2 very long.

Now, Nadal.

Considering where Del Potro is right now, this was a great matchup for Rafa. The one area where I don’t see Delpo quite approaching his peak is ground stroke pace, particularly on service returns.

There’s still a little too much air under the ball to start talking about him in terms of a Grand Slam final, though let’s not make this into a crisis. He has, after all, gone semis, semis, win, semis in four tournaments this year. He’s getting there, but he’s going to have to feel a higher confidence level to start ripping the ball a little harder to get back to his U.S. Open win form.

And against Nadal, the one thing you don’t want to do is put air under ground strokes and give him the necessary time to fire.

Rafa broke first at 2-2 in the opening set and it was classic Nadal the way he did it. Delpo at 30-40 hit a first serve down the T, forcing a weak return which he pasted into Nadal’s backhand corner.

You can go back and look at the tape of this one. On the dead run and with his legs spread as wide as they could go without doing the splits, Nadal produced one of those all-wrists two-handers up the line for a clean winner and the break.

His left foot was right on the extension of the singles sideline and his right foot very near at the extension of the doubles sideline.

Just three aces for Juan Martin in this semifinal. He pounded in 68 percent of his first serves, which is quite high for a big hitter, but won only 60 percent of those points, which is not good, but which tells you he’s not firing as hard as he can.

Today, Nadal and Djokovic play for the 24th time since the 2006 French Open — less than five years ago. Nadal has won 16 times and is 4-0 in finals. But the Djoker is on a 19-match win streak. So, can we coin-flip this one?

I’ll take Nadal. I’m not sure why. Intuition maybe. I do know this for sure, though. This is going to be a great match.

Federer Routs Agassi

November 16, 2010 by WTM

WorldTennisMagazine.com takes a look back at ATP World Tour Finals from yester-year in this special series – ATP World Tour Final Rewind. Today we look back to an epic match from November 16, as excerpted from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com)

2001 – Twenty-year-old Lleyton Hewitt clinches the No. 1 year-end ranking, becoming the youngest player to accomplish the feat in the history of the ATP rankings since 1973. Hewitt clinches the ranking when he defeats fellow Aussie Patrick Rafter 7-5, 6-2 in his final round-robin match at the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney, Australia. Hewitt’s victory, coupled with the loss of Gustavo Kuerten to Yevgeny Kafelnikov, ensures the top year-end ranking for the Adelaide, Australia native. Says Hewitt, the first Australian to finish the year ranked No. 1, “It’s an unbelievable feeling. To become No.1 at 20 years of age, and to do it in Australia, you couldn’t have written a better dream.” Hewitt, at 20 years, 8 months, is younger than the previous year-end No. 1 Jimmy Connors, at 22 years, 3 months, in 1974.

1997 – Pete Sampras wins the year-end ATP Tour Championships for a fourth time, defeating Russia’s Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in Hannover, Germany. Sampras becomes the first player to win the season-ending championships for a second consecutive year since Ivan Lendl in 1986 and 1987.

2003 – Roger Federer routs Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to win the year-end ATP Masters Cup for the first time in his career. Playing at the West Side Tennis Club in Houston, Texas, Federer fires 11 aces in the 88-minute match that is delayed two-and-a-half hours due to rain. “It was one of the best matches for me this season,” Federer says. “I’m very happy how the whole year went, especially this tournament. I worked hard this year. You always have ups and downs but I feel this season has been complete.”

DEFENDING CHAMPION RAJEEV RAM COMMITS TO PLAY CAMPBELL’S HALL OF FAME TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

April 15, 2010 by WTM

NEWPORT, R.I., April 14, 2010 – Rajeev Ram, who clinched both the Singles and the Doubles titles in Newport last year, will return to compete in the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships again this year. Ram, who is currently ranked No. 85 on the South African Airways 2010 ATP Rankings, joins a dynamic Newport player field that features four of the top-10 Americans. In addition to Ram, early commitments scheduled to compete in Newport include No. 4 American Sam Querrey, No. 8 American Mardy Fish and No. 9 American Taylor Dent.

“Rajeev really put on a tremendous performance for the New England tennis fans last summer,” said Mark Stenning, CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. “We look forward to welcoming him back this year as part of a strong field of top Americans.”

In 2009, Ram entered the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships as a lucky loser as a last-minute replacement and went on to defeat No. 3 seed Sam Querrey in three sets. He then clinched the doubles title alongside Australian Jordan Kerr. Ram was the first lucky loser to win in the Newport tournament’s history. He earned 250 South African Airways ATP Ranking points, which advanced his rank from No. 181 to No. 108. In October 2009, he broke into the top 100, where he has remained consistently since that time. In addition to his victories in Newport, Ram earned two other ATP World Tour Doubles titles last year, in Chennai (w/Butorac) and in Bangkok with the same partner.

The Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships is an ATP World Tour event drawing 32 top male players to Newport direct from Wimbledon to compete for the Van Alen Cup and $442,500 in prize money. Tickets for the tournament are now available for purchase online through www.tennisfame.com or by calling the Tournament Office at 866-914-FAME (3263).

Complementing another exciting week of ATP World Tour tennis will be the International Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2010 Induction Ceremony. The Induction Ceremony will be held on Saturday, July 10 at 12:30 p.m., prior to the tournament’s semifinal matches. The Class of 2010 is dominated by doubles stars in the Recent Player and Master Player categories, with the inductions of Todd Woodbridge, Mark Woodforde, Gigi Fernandez, Natasha Zvereva and Owen Davidson. In the Contributor category, Brad Parks, the pioneering founder of Wheelchair Tennis, has been selected for induction, along with Derek Hardwick, who served as chairman of the British Lawn Tennis Association and was instrumental in the creation of Open tennis.

For additional information, please call the Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships at 866-914-FAME (3263) or visit www.tennisfame.com.

ROGER FEDERER’S FITNESS GURU

April 14, 2010 by WTM

Why has Roger Federer been able to achieve such incredible feats in tennis?

Of course, his immense talent is a large reason, but his health and fitness is another major factor. Federer has been without serious injury for most of his career and his excellent fitness has allowed him to maintain his incredible level of play year after year with great consistency.

The man largely responsible for the fitness of Federer is Pierre Paganini, who has served in the role as Federer’s fitness trainer for 10 years.

In this exclusive excerpt from the book THE ROGER FEDERER STORY: QUEST FOR PERFECTION ($24.95, New Chapter Press, www.RogerFedererbook.com), author Rene Stauffer reviews the time when Federer and Paganini first began working together – and the immediate results from their training sessions – in the chapter called “No Pain, No Gain.”

Roger Federer was still the youngest player in the top 100 of the ATP rankings at the end of the 2000 season and was rapidly working his way to the top. However, when it came to winning his first ATP singles title, it seemed as though he was jinxed. No matter how well he played, he just couldn’t break through and win his first title. By contrast, Lleyton Hewitt, who was just five months older than Federer, already won six titles in his career, including four alone in 2000. Hewitt also ranked No. 6 in the world rankings and was firmly established as a consistent top 10 player.

Hewitt’s style was different and simpler. He was fast and was one of the greatest warriors on the court—fighting tooth and nail for every point and wearing his opponents down with his steady baseline play. He intimidated opponents with fist pumps and his signature yell-out of “C’mon!”

While Hewitt was winning in a relatively non-dazzling way, the opposite was usually the case for Federer. He charmed the spectators with dynamic displays of the most diverse strokes and with his virtuoso onslaught. He seemed to possess infinite potential—but he nonetheless repeatedly lost to inferior opponents. He seemed like somebody who had the winning lottery ticket but didn’t know what to do with all his money. “He has so much potential that it sometimes confuses even himself,” said John McEnroe, himself, a one-time artist with the tennis ball.

Federer’s time finally seemed to come in October of 2000 in Basel, his hometown. He overcame a match point in defeating Hewitt for the first time in his career in the semifinals, winning by the narrowest of margins—8-6 in the decisive third-set tie-break. “That was one of my most unbelievable matches,” the local matador said exuberantly of one of his early marquee wins. But Federer was not able to carry the momentum through to the title, losing a hard-fought final to No. 6 seed Thomas Enqvist of Sweden.

The final-round showing in Basel placed Federer among the top 25 ranked players in the world. But mental and physical exhaustion from the long season set in and Federer won just three matches in his final four tournaments and finished the 2000 season ranked No. 29. For the first time, he failed to achieve his goals for the season—winning his first title and finishing the year in the top 25 of the rankings.

Federer’s 2000 season—his second as a professional—taught him the bitter lesson that spectacular strokes and talent by themselves weren’t enough to win tournaments and get to the top. He had to work on his physical fitness. Although fitness training was something he didn’t particularly like, he hired a fitness coach, Pierre Paganini, an old acquaintance from his time with the Swiss Tennis Federation at Ecublens, to join Lundgren as part of his team. Training with the 43-year-old Paganini 100 days a year proved to be a stroke of luck.

Roger Federer

“He is the best fitness trainer you can imagine,” said Lundgren of Paganini. The bald, bespectacled man was a former soccer player as well as a smart, professional and unobtrusive worker—and he quickly deduced what Federer was lacking. “Athletically, he had great shortcomings. There was enormous potential for improvement, especially in legwork and body building,” Paganini recalled. “His problem was that his enormous talent allowed him to cover up his athletic shortcomings.” At the same time, however, he also had to defend his position in the world rankings and he could not afford to just work on basic conditioning. “I had a time table of three years to bring him up to the best physical condition.”

Paganini’s goal, however, was not to transform Federer into a muscle-man. “A tennis player is not a sprinter, a marathon runner or a shot-put thrower,” he said. “But he does have to have something from all of them and he does have to be able to summon all of these qualities when playing.” Because Federer was a creative player who often improvised many different shots during a match, he had to be able to execute many different movements, unlike a player like Hewitt, who tended to play the same style and hit the same type of shots repeatedly. Paganini worked with Federer to achieve a “coordinated creativity,” high precision movements and the ability to muster top athletic performance after four hours of play. “Roger couldn’t be permitted to choose the wrong tactic for physical reasons,” Paganini said.

Every day brought fresh challenges for Paganini to keep the young firebrand’s morale high. “Roger is not a workaholic that you can hit 3,000 backhands to and he hits them and feels good doing it. Training has to be fun for Roger,” said Lundgren.

“He wants to work hard but he needs a lot of variety,” Paganini said. “He has to see that an exercise is useful to him. He is an artist. If you motivate him, then he turns into a training animal.”

In Biel in December of 2000, Federer received a two-week preview of what his new training work would entail. Paganini developed special exercises for him that he termed “integrated fitness training.” Federer, for example, ran on the side of the court until he was exhausted and then immediately ran back onto the court to play tennis. “The natural reflexes and all the bad habits that are the hardest to break kick in when one is in an exhausted state,” Paganini said, explaining his method. “And then the coach goes to work on them.”

While many tennis players only concentrated on building fitness in December, the only tournament-free month of the year, Federer punctually worked on his fitness training the entire year. Paganini was immediately enthused by the professional dedication shown by his protégé. “He was really motivated for such exercises and this surprised me,” he said. “But he is, after all, a natural athlete.” Paganini, who called Federer “naturally coordinated,” said Federer accepted the fact that fitness work and practicing would not always be fun. “He noticed that he was there to acquire something that would later serve him on the tennis court.”

Paganini’s three-year plan proved successful. “Today, Roger can reach a maximum speed of 20 km/h (12 mph), which means that he can keep up with a regional sprinter for the first 30 meters,” he recollected in 2003. Federer could run 3,300 meters in 12 minutes, 9,300 meters in 40 minutes and he could press 150 kg (330 lbs) while doing knee-bends. This was an immense improvement from before.

Federer found it easy to motivate himself for these goal-oriented training sessions because they broke up the routine. “Just a little bit of change does me a lot of good,” he said. “Once I’m out on the court, I don’t have any problem getting motivated. If I want to be No. 1, I have to give my all in training.” Thanks to Paganini, he understood why he was training so hard. He quickly noticed that his improved fitness was helping him to increase his self-confidence. “I feel mentally really good because I know that I am physically prepared and that I can compete,” he said after the first extended training session with Paganini.

Lundgren expected a lot from Federer in 2001, his first full season as Federer’s private coach. He was convinced that “if he plays like he did last fall in Sydney, Vienna or in Basel, he’ll be in the top 15.” He even dared to speculate that “he could have his first title very soon.”

At the start of the season, Federer and Martina Hingis won the Hopman Cup in Perth. It was not an especially significant event but it was, after all, the International Tennis Federation’s sanctioned world mixed tennis tournament. He reached the third round of the Australian Open—avenging his Olympic loss to DiPasquale in the first round before losing to eventual finalist Arnaud Clement. February, however, became the best month of his career to date. At the indoor event in Milan, Italy after the Australian Open, Federer defeated Olympic Champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov for the first time in his career in the semifinals to reach his third career ATP singles final. Federer seized the opportunity and, with his parents in the stands cheering him on, he finally won his first ATP singles title, defeating No. 53-ranked Julien Boutter of France 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4.

Lundgren was correct. A milestone was achieved. “The relief is enormous,” Federer said. “I’ve had to wait a long time for this moment. It should get easier from here on out.” But the excursion to Milan didn’t end very happily for Roger’s father. In his excitement, he locked his car keys inside the car and had to smash in the car window to retrieve them.

A week later, another career milestone was achieved for the 19-year-old as he returned to Basel for Davis Cup duty against the United States. There was no stopping Federer. He beat Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill in two breath-taking performances in singles, and in between, paired with Lorenzo Manta to defeat the American team of Gambill and Justin Gimelstob in doubles. With his three match victories in the 3-2 Swiss defeat of the USA, he joined Raul Ramirez, Neale Fraser, Nicola Pietrangeli, Frank Sedgman, Henri Cochet and Laurie Doherty as the seventh and the youngest player to win three live matches in a Davis Cup tie against the United States. “It’s like a dream,” said Federer, who shed tears of joy after his match-clinching victory over Gambill.

The Americans, by contrast, were stunned. “You’d have to be blind not to see that he’s got a great future in store for him,” said Gambill. U.S. Captain Patrick McEnroe didn’t try to make any excuses although he was missing his two strongest players, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, in this match. “We knew that Federer would be tough but we didn’t expect this,” he said. “Whenever he got hold of the ball, the point was his.”

February would bring even more success for Federer. The week after his single-handed defeat of the U.S. Davis Cup team, he reached the semifinals in Marseille where his 10-match winning streak was ended by Kafelnikov. The next week, he reached his fourth career singles final, losing to Nicolas Escude of France in a third-set tie-break in the final of Rotterdam. The ATP chose him their “Player of the Month” and effusively praised in their official press communication, “The Federer Express has arrived!” A playful warning was also issued in the press release stating that Federer, “has been blessed with so much talent that it almost seems unfair to his opponents.”

WHEN FEDERER FIRST BECAME NO. 1

February 2, 2010 by WTM

February 2 is an historic day in the life and career of Roger Federer. As documented in the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY, it was February 2, 2004 when Federer first became the No. 1 player in the world. It was one day after Federer won his first Australian Open title – and his second career major title – that he first assumed the top position on the ATP rankings, replacing Andy Roddick. Federer held on to the top ranking for a record 237 straight weeks, before Rafael Nadal finally toppled him on August 18, 2008. Federer then regained the top spot on July 6, 2009 after winning his sixth Wimbledon title and has held it ever since. Rene Stauffer, the author of the leading Federer biography THE ROGER FEDERER STORY: QUEST FOR PERFECTION ($24.95, New Chapter Press, www.RogerFedererBook.com) documents Federer’s final push for the No. 1 at the 2004 Australian Open in this exclusive book excerpt below.

When Federer arrived in Australia in January of 2004 in preparation for the Australian Open, criticism about his separation from Peter Lundgren already preceded him. The international media wanted to know the reasons.

Pat Cash, the Australian Wimbledon champion, hastily stated in London’s Sunday Times that Federer made a mistake and was risking a career setback by ending his coaching relationship with Lundgren. Cash could neither understand the timing nor the motives for the separation and went as far to say that Federer was not yet ready for the new season and that he was allowing himself to be unduly influenced by his girlfriend. “Errors of judgment have already been made and the first thing Federer must do is ensure that his girlfriend returns to being just that,” wrote Cash. “It’s a simple matter of common sense.”

Cash’s aggressive—and below the belt—punch at Federer was unfounded. Federer not only would dispel all doubts cast on his professionalism, but also fundamentally call into question all theories about the importance of even having a coach. Federer was not lacking in offers from coaches around the world. After all, Federer was the only top 10 player without a coach. However, he didn’t want to be overhasty. “Out on the court, I alone have to decide what I am doing,” he said. “And nobody can help me with that anymore.”

As the Australian Open began, questions about Federer’s form and preparation mounted. He lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero at an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong, then at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Andre Agassi polished him off in less than an hour with an ominous 6-2, 6-4 decision. Agassi, the four-time Australian Open, was firmly entrenched as the favorite at Melbourne Park having won his last 21 Australian Open matches.

Federer effortlessly reached the round of 16 and, thanks to his new found self-confidence, was able to avenge his Davis Cup loss to Hewitt, defeating the Aussie standout 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 on the very same court where he tasted bitter defeat four months earlier in the Davis Cup semifinals. To make matters worse for Australian fans and Hewitt, Federer’s victory occurred on all days but Australia Day, the Australian national holiday, with nearby fireworks going off in nearby downtown Melbourne.

Federer’s fireworks continued in the quarterfinals against his nemesis David Nalbandian. In the decisive moments of the first set against the Argentine, Federer confirmed the sound state of his morale. Serving at 15-40 at 5-5 in the first set, Federer fired off four straight aces to win the game and carry him to win the first set and the eventual 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory. His previous uncertainties with Nalbandian were now part of the past.

With world No. 1 Andy Roddick losing unexpectedly to Marat Safin in five sets in the quarterfinals, the door was open for Federer to take the No. 1 ranking. By reaching the semifinals, Federer was guaranteed to leap over Roddick in the rankings, but the No. 1 spot was still up in the air. If Ferrero, Federer’s semifinal opponent, were to win the tournament, he would return to No. 1. Should Ferrero not win the tournament, Federer would ascend to the top for the first time. For the second time in his career, Federer was one match win from attaining his goal as world No. 1 when he took the court with Ferrero. After some initial tension in the opening set, the match was never in doubt. At 9:18 pm local time on January 30, after finishing his 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 domination of the Spanaird, Federer sank to his knees and raised his arms to the heavens. It was now certain. Federer would officially become the No. 1 ranked player when the next rankings were released on February 2.

“I wanted to enjoy this moment,” he said. “You only get to be No. 1 once.” But he remained adamant that his big goal was the title. “It would be a gigantic disappointment if I were to lose in the final.”

Safin was Federer’s unexpected opponent in the final. The Russian stunned Agassi in a five-set semifinal to reach the Australian Open final for the second time in three years. Although unseeded and ranked No. 86 in the world due to an extended layoff due to wrist surgery in 2003, the former world No. 1 was a powerhouse capable of winning matches and titles regardless of whom he played.

Federer, however, would not let anything stand in his way of victory. After he won the first set in a tie-break, Safin seemed increasingly tired and frustrated and resigned to defeat. Federer’s 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-2 final-round victory earned him his second Grand Slam tournament title and served as a stylish ascent to the world No. 1 ranking

“Becoming No. 1 was a goal but winning the title was bigger,” he said.

He didn’t forget Peter Lundgren either. At nearly every interview during his championship run, Federer mentioned the importance of his dismissed coach and even sent him a text message to Sweden, thanking him once again for his previous efforts.

There would be no discussion among experts in the tennis industry of the validity of the No. 1 ranked player. Having won Wimbledon, the Tennis Masters Cup and the Australian Open, Federer won three of the five most important titles in tennis in the last seven months. His success equaled the best run of success in men’s tennis since Hewitt captured titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Tennis Masters Cup over a stretch of 10 months in 2001 and 2002.

The transitional phase in men’s tennis that produced eight different Grand Slam tournament champions over a two-year-stretch was over. The ATP promoted this period in its “New Balls Please” campaign since nobody really knew who the next dominant figure would be in men’s tennis. The discussion ceased. The age of Federer had dawned.

Roger Federer Routs Andre Agassi

November 16, 2009 by WTM

The countdown to London begins. As part of the lead up to start of the Barclay’s ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena in London on November 22, WorldTennisMagazine.com is presenting a special look at some of the best moments in the history of the season-ending ATP championships, courtesy of the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com). Each day, WorldTennisMagazine.com will present the anniversaries of some of the best matches from the event.

ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY – November 16